MUNCIE, Ind. (AP): Ball State University is hiring its new president away from Northern Kentucky University.

Ball State’s trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to select Geoffrey Mearns as the new president, a year after the Muncie school’s previous leader resigned without explanation. Mearns has been Northern Kentucky’s president since 2012. He previously was at Cleveland State University, where he was first law school dean and then provost.

“It is an honor, for me and my family, to be selected as the 17th president of Ball State University.”—Geoffrey Mearns #BallStatePres

— Ball State (@BallState) January 24, 2017

Mearns says he’ll start at Ball State no later than August and that a transition date will be worked out with Northern Kentucky. He’ll replace former President Paul Ferguson, who resigned in January 2016 after 17 months leading the 21,000-student school.

Ball State’s trustees faced criticism for a lack of transparency following Ferguson’s departure.